Thread by @ekverstania

Will people pay their part-time no-contract domestic servants to not come to work? #CoronavirusInSA

What happens to day labourers - men at the side of the road? #CoronavirusInSA

Who will pay the sex workers to not work? #CoronavirusInSA

Communication therapist with a chronic lung condition. Works with children who touch her all the time. What's the first step in preparation? #CoronavirusInSA

German long-stay tourists; husbands visa has been renewed, wife's visa renewal refused. He's in late 80s and needs surgery. She's in her late 50s. He can't travel without her. Stay? Go? What now? #CoronavirusInSA

How do you self-isolate if you're quadriplegic? #CoronavirusInSA

What is a good way of keeping a safe distance between people if you use Metrorail and minibus taxis to get to work, clinic and shop or to collect your SASSA? #CoronavirusInSA

If 3 children and 2 adults share a 2-room house and the stay-at-home granny gets sick, and the other person needs to work, what's the safest lifestyle arrangement? #CoronavirusSA

What about wee, pooh and breastfeeding? #CoronavirusSA

Do you have to baptise the oranges from Spar in Sunlight Liquid while you sing Veels Geluk Liewe Maatjie to them twice? #CoronavirusSA

Will cashiers have to wash their hands after handling each customer's hand-picked groceries? #CoronavirusSA

So, touching face isn't OK. How about inserting a tampon? #CoronavirusSA

Will dental health workers have to wear special gear? #Coronavirussouthafrica

How will triage be done? #CoronavirusInSA

When are grown-ups allowed to lick their fingers? Can a child suck his own thumb? #CoronavirusSafety

How will prisons work? #covid19SA

The shops have run out of hand sanitiser. Can you maar stook mampoer now as a duty to society? #covid19SA

What are practical hygiene measures for people who use communal taps and toilets? #covid19SA

OK, so, touching your face is bad and all, but seriously, what do you do with snot? Wait to get to a bathroom before you wash hands, then blow your nose with your own tissue, and discard it, or...?

#CoronavirusSafety

Is South Africa preparing special vehicles and training and equipping undertakers to fetch corpses from homes?

#COVID19SA

Current international projected infections range in the region of 60-80% of population, with a death rate of approx 3% of those infected (about 1 in every 30 sick people will die).

What is the South African government's projection of when this will peak here?

#COVID19

Is South Africa prepared for the cremation or burial of more than 1 million or more infected bodies over the next year or so, in addition to dealing with the usual projected deaths?

#COVID19

What is the policy for relatives who want to "take the body home to be buried in the land" (e.g. transport a deceased relative from Paarl in the Western Cape to Gcuwa in the Eastern Cape)?

#COVID19SA

We know that snot, spit and phlegm are a potential source of infection. What about wee, pooh and blood? #COVID19Safety

What's the plan for infected babies and children?

#COVID19SouthAfrica

What is the policy at homeless shelters?

#COVID19SouthAfrica

Handwashing is one thing. How do we deal with towels? #CoronavirusSafety

Who is leading the #COVID19SouthAfrica response team?

We need MUCH more testing in South Africa. We have hundreds of people coming in from epidemic epicentres in Europe every week. It's completely unlikely that we have fewer than 30 cases just because those are the only ones who tested positive. #covid19SA

https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1238269165162692608?s=19

South Africa is not doing enough testing. #COVID19SA

ourworldindata.org/grapher/covid1…

Vielen Dank an Deutschland, @AmbSchaefer. I just saw this tweet.

https://twitter.com/AmbSchaefer/status/1238383499041738752?s=19

President Ramaphosa will be speaking to the nation about #COVID19SA at 18:00. Livestream on YouTube here: youtube.com/watch?v=E8v_qA…

20,000+ people waiting on YouTube for President Ramaphosa to begin his address. 20 minutes late so far...

Announced on radio:

Up to date info from the SA Department of Health: click link and send 'hi': wa.me/27600123456?/t…. Can also just save number [phone] and send 'hi'.

Not a Whatsapp group, you will not be spammed. Uses interactive menu.

It's not comprehensive yet, there are no solutions for Deaf people, but they will update it.

I mean, Deaf people can use the app, but the advice they give regarding testing is only for people who can make phone calls, not for people with hearing and speech issues.

For the latest #COVID19SA news from the South African government, go to twitter.com/HealthZA or sacoronavirus.co.za/category/press…

President has started. youtube.com/watch?v=E8v_qA…

President Ramaphosa says we have 61 cases now, NOT only people who have travelled or been in contact with travellers. #covid19SA

President Ramaphosa has declared a National Disaster in South Africa and is imposing a travel ban on travelers from many countries, including Germany. Visas cancelled. #covid19SA

President Ramaphosa is recommending that we don't travel to the USA, UK, EU and many other countries. #covid19SA

All returning South Africans will undergo testing.

Travel bans, several ports of entry closed; internal travel is restricted. -- President Ramaphosa #COVID19SA #SocialDistancing

Gatherings of more than 100 people are banned now. Schools will be closed. -- President Ramaphosa #covid19SA

Visits to prisons suspended for 30 days. -- President Ramaphosa #covid19SA

People at Wits are being quarantined.
-- President Ramaphosa #covid19SA

President Ramaphosa urges upped hygiene in shopping centres. #covid19SA

Mass communication campaign starting; mass tracking of contacts will begin soon.

-- President Ramaphosa #covid19SA

Elbow greeting encouraged -- President Ramaphosa #covid19SA

I think I will rather bow or wave, but that's me.

President Ramaphosa #covid19SA: National Command Council being established, will meet 3 x per week.

President Ramaphosa #covid19SA: The economy is going to take a huge knock, and we are already seeing it in tourism industry; but it will get very bad. Jobs, business -- it will become pretty bad. Government is working on a rescue package for business, labour, etc.

Priority: Treatment.

Greatest dangers: Fear and ignorance.

MUST accept the seriousness of this, though.

-- President Ramaphosa #covid19SA

World Health Organisation and other nations are listed as partners in the fight in South Africa. -- President Ramaphosa #covid19SA

President Ramaphosa encourages us to respond by cooperating, collaborating and show solidarity and compassion. Those who have resources and who are healthy must assist those vulnerable (but keep a distance). #covid19SA

President Ramaphosa #covid19SA thanks people who came for testing and who already went into isolation. He is now thanking the medial community.

He also thanks the people who brought in our citizens from Wuhan to the quarantine area.

He also thanks the people of Limpopo as a whole for their warm welcome to the repatriated citizens. (Haha, did he see what went down on Twitter?) But OK, he's being very polite.

President Ramaphosa #covid19SA is expressing trust in the people of South Africa, and says that it's up to us to effect how long this will last; and says that immediate and decisive action will make the difference.

President Ramaphosa #covid19SA recognises that it's the biggest challenge the South African democracy has ever faced, and he expresses his wish for our courage.

Tomorrow at 10:00, the Ministers will further elaborate on the plans.